Some Chinese officials were indignant over the assertions of "widespread and systematic" torture and ill-treatment of prisoners in China in a recent report released by Amnesty International, saying that "they were fabricated."

Du Zhongxing, director of the Prison Administration under the Ministry of Justice, said the Chinese government prohibits the practice of torture, beating or ill-treatment of prisoners, which is also laid down in the Prison Law.

In order to ensure the successful implementation of these provisions, the law enforcement bodies have set up offices in all prisons and special mailboxes for reports of complaints have been installed to deal with illegal practices done by the police.

Referring to the cases of Amnesty International report concerning torture and ill-treatment of prisoners, Du said that "these are sheer rumors."

In recent years, many international organizations and individuals have visited some prisons in China and they appreciated the achievements and progress of the prison administration in China.

Du pointed out that just like prisons in other countries, beatings and ill-treatment of prisoners have not yet been rooted out completely in China.

However, "the law enforcement departments will take immediate action to punish the jail officers who dare to break the law," Du said.

Wang Yunsheng, director of the Reeducation Through Labor Administration under the Ministry of Justice, said that the reports that Falun Gong followers have been beaten to death never occurred in reeducation through labor institutes.

The police in these institutes respect the dignity of Falun Gong followers and protect their legitimate rights, Wang said.

According to Wang, no one has been sent to for reeducation through labor because he is a Falun Gong follower unless he violates relevant laws and disturbs public order.

As for the reported case of family planners torturing Zhou Jianxiong to death, Chen Shengli, director of the Publicity and Education Department under the State Family Planning Commission, said the report by Amnesty International failed to have consistent facts.

"The report declined to mention the punishments of criminals involved in the case," Chen said.

According to a verdict document of a local court, right after the occurrence of the case, four suspects confessed to their crimes to the local police and were respectively sentenced to 10 years', seven years', five years' and three years' imprisonment by the local court.

Chen said that the Chinese government announced at the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development that "voluntariness of the general public" and "providing quality service of reproductive health" were the principle in carrying out the family planning policy.

In 1991, the Chinese government laid down that implementing the family planning policy by force in any form is prohibited.

To date, "providing quality service of reproductive health" has become the theme of family planing, and the birth rate in China has remained far below the population replacement level.

"Therefore, theoretically speaking, it is not necessary to resort to force in carrying out the family planning policy," Chen said.

(Xinhua 02/19/2001)